World Trade Center site after the terrorist attacks seen from the law office of Kelner & Kelner. Photo: Rick Kopstein/NYLJ
Like most Americans, I remember where I was when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
After a hectic morning, I'd just sat down with a cup of coffee to read the paper and was listening to the news when the announcement came that a plane had hit the North Tower. Thinking it was a pilot of a small plane who had suffered a heart attack, I turned on the news and watched in disbelief at what transpired over the next few hours.
Visiting Ground Zero
At the time, I was working as the editor-in-chief of a magazine that covered the insurance restoration industry. Two weeks later, I was in New York City walking past the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center, speaking to some folks who had been on their way to work that gorgeous September morning and were still alive because they'd chosen to walk instead of taking the subway.
I saw the National Guard tanks and soldiers protecting a very empty Battery Park. I was allowed into St. Paul's Chapel where the first responders were still sleeping on the church pews in between their search and rescue efforts. I climbed from the lowest level of Trinity Church to the top of one of the spires, trying to take in a view of the towers very few would ever see. It was sobering and awe-inspiring at the same time. Earth movers and cranes looked like children's toys as their operators began the massive task of removing the debris from the towers. There was a putrid, smoky odor in the air and the beams were still smoking from the collapse.
I stood in the basement of Trinity Church where a kindergarten class had huddled for hours as their world literally crashed down around them. It was filled with a fine, white powder—a mix of paper, cement dust, asbestos and other unidentified particulates. I had to wear a dust mask and workers were in head-to-toe personal protective equipment. The thought of those frightened children gathered in that tiny space as the buildings collapsed brought tears to my eyes.
Critcal role played by adjusters, insurance restoration personnel
As I did my interviews, my focus was solely on the job that needed to be done. Each person I spoke with exhibited a spirit of resilience—determined that our country would not be defeated by these terrorists—and they were grateful to still be alive. When I returned to my hotel room in Midtown that evening, I was overwhelmed by what I had seen, heard and experienced, and extremely aware of how privileged I was to share the stories of these survivors.
The efforts of the men and women who spent the next few months adjusting losses and cleaning and restoring thousands of homes, businesses and offices will never be fully appreciated. Like the first responders from the fire and police departments, they played a critical role in restoring the hope and lives of millions, and that is no small thing.
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